


i'm sorry for loving you (no i'm not)

by tiniegyus



Series: Shorts [6]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, M/M, but it all works out in the end, minho's mother is a bitch sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2020-01-12 19:41:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18453311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiniegyus/pseuds/tiniegyus
Summary: He remembers meeting Chan for the first time when they were both first years at university. Chan had looked exhausted even back then and the first thing Minho had thought wassomeone needs to take care of this man.





	i'm sorry for loving you (no i'm not)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [megaotaku98](https://archiveofourown.org/users/megaotaku98/gifts).



Minho loves his mother, he really does.

 

That’s a lie: he can’t fucking stand her.

 

“I just want her to stop setting me up on dates with girls!” he complains, head in his hands as he slumps over Chan’s kitchen table. “That’s why I need your help.”

 

“I don’t really see what help I’ll be able to provide,” replies Chan, not looking up from his laptop. “Unless you want me to kidnap you until after the party.”

 

“No, nothing illegal. I just want you to  pretend to be my date.”

 

That catches Chan’s attention, his gaze shifting to Minho. “You _what?”_

 

Minho groans and raises his head. “Date me, Channie. Just for the party; just enough to piss her off.”

 

“Minho, you know I’m not comfortable with all of… _that_ .” Chan shifts uncomfortably in his seat and it’s enough to make Minho feel guilty for a second. He knows Chan isn’t comfortable with the rich, fancy upbringing Minho had, knows that the few times he’s tried bringing Chan into it the elder has panicked. Still, he doesn’t know who else he’d even _want_ to take as his date.

 

“It wouldn’t be for very long!” He tries to reason with Chan. “Honestly, she’ll probably kick us out immediately if I show up with a boy and then we can go get dinner somewhere else.” He smiles prettily, the way he knows makes Chan say yes to him nine times out of ten. “I’ll buy you chicken?”

 

Chan sighs. “Fucking _fine_. I’ll pretend to date you.”

 

Even as Minho squeals and leaps around the table to throw his arms around Chan he feels the guilt setting in. Oh well. That’s a problem for future Minho.

 

\----------

 

The thing is, Minho has been in love with Chan for as long as they’ve known each other.

 

He remembers meeting Chan for the first time when they were both first years at university. Chan had looked exhausted even back then and the first thing Minho had thought was _someone needs to take care of this man._

 

Then Chan opened his mouth and started talking and all Minho could think was _I may be in love._

Chan just has this presence that completely captivates Minho. He doesn’t really know how to explain it, but listening to Chan speak always draws Minho’s full attention. Even just being in the same room as Chan makes Minho distracted, a part of him constantly focused on the other man. So when Woojin had innocently suggested that he find a fake date for his mother’s holiday party, Minho had decided to seize the opportunity.

 

Is it wrong to put Chan in an uncomfortable environment just so he can pretend he’s dating the man of his dreams for a few hours? Probably. Minho’s always been good at living his life unrepentantly, though.

 

And besides, seeing Chan in a suit? _Totally_ worth the guilt.

 

He smiles at Chan reassuringly. They’re in the back of the car Minho’s mother sent to pick them up and the closer they get to Minho’s house the more visibly anxious Chan gets. Finally Minho reaches out and takes Chan’s hands. “Babe, calm down,” he says. “It’ll all be fine.”

 

“You know I don’t do well in these sorts of situations,” Chan snaps. Once again Minho feels a flash of remorse, but he brushes it off.

 

“You’ll be fine, I promise. I bet she kicks us out right away, and if she doesn’t I’ll let you hold my hand all night.” Minho flashes Chan a smile. “You can squeeze the shit out of me all you want as payment for making you do this.”

 

Chan smiles, although it looks more like a grimace. “I don’t know…”

 

“Please.” Minho smiles softly at him. “I want you to do this with me. I don’t need you to, and if you really think you can’t do it we can call the whole thing off now. But if you’re willing to try I would love to have you by my side tonight.”

 

Chan stares at him for a moment, then squeezing Minho’s hand resolutely. “You owe me a hell of a lot of chicken.”

 

Minho laughs. “Darling, I’ll buy you chicken for the rest of your life.”

 

At the start of the party everything seems to be going fine. They walk in arm and arm; Minho greets guests, introducing Chan as his boyfriend; Chan pretends he doesn’t notice Minho stealing at least five hors d'oeuvres everytime a server passes them by. In return, Minho ignores the way Chan tenses up everytime someone new approaches them. It’s a good system.

 

Then it all goes to hell.

 

“Minho!”

 

Minho groans internally and plasters a fake smile on his face before turning around. “Mother!”

 

She smiles, so sweetly it almost looks sour. “Darling, how long have you been here? Why haven’t you come said hello yet?” She pulls him in for an air kiss - because rich people are incapable of just hugging their family, apparently - before turning a skeptical gaze on Chan. “And who is this?”  


For a moment Minho is taken aback. He’s _definitely_ introduced Chan to her before, multiple times in fact. Still, he wouldn’t put it past her to just forget who Chan is entirely, so he grits his teeth and says, “This is Chan. My boyfriend.”

 

The horror on her face is nearly comical before it quickly transforms back into her normal smile. “That’s nice you brought a friend, dear,” she says. “Now, if you’ll come with me, there’s someone I’d like you to -”

 

“Mother, I don’t think you understood me. This is my _boyfriend._ As in, the man I am _dating_ . The man I _love_.”

 

She practically snarls. “I’d advise you to rethink what you just said, Minho.”

 

Once upon a time Minho would have. He would have bowed and scrambled to take back his words and he would have let go of Chan’s hand and just - accepted whatever his mother chose to do for his punishment. But here? Now? With the man he loves beside him? No way in hell is Minho backing down. So he stares her dead in the eye, squeezing Chan’s hand for support and says, “No.”

 

What follows next is him and Chan getting kicked out of the house as politely as possible to avoid causing a scandal. His mother informs him that he can come by tomorrow to pick up any of his things, but that after that he’s not allowed back into the house until he “sees reason.” Minho flips her off and walks away, pulling Chan along behind him.

 

She wouldn’t let them take the car back to Chan’s apartment, and there are no taxis in this area, so Minho finds himself sitting on the curb outside the gate to his house - not that it’s his anymore - as they wait for an Uber. They sit in silence and, for the first time since he’s met Chan, it’s an uncomfortable one. Finally, Chan speaks up. “I’m sorry, Minnie.”

 

Minho shakes his head. “Don’t be. I knew this might be the outcome of tonight. I’m sorry for dragging you into things.”

 

“Don’t be.” Chan’s voice is firm. “I’m glad to help you, even if the situation is unpleasant.” He clears his throat. “Woojin, uh… Woojin told me he was the one who first proposed you take a date to the party. He says he offered.”

 

All of a sudden Minho is filled with a dreadful sense of foreboding. “He did, yes. Why?”  


“He’s... good? At knowing how to act at all these society events, I guess. I’m just confused as to why you asked me to go, and not him.”

 

Minho _knows_ the right answer to this question, knows what the safe answer is but suddenly he’s just so incredibly _tired_ of it all and before he even really knows what he’s doing he blurts out, “Because I wanted to know.”

 

Chan looks at him, frowning. “Know what?”

 

No going back now. Minho drops his head to rest on his knees and says quietly. “I wanted to know what it felt like to be your boyfriend. Even if it was only for tonight. I wanted to know.”

 

“Minho…”

 

“I wasn’t lying, when I told her you were the man I love. I meant it.” He raises his head to look at Chan, even if he knows he looks pathetic, knows his eyes are red-rimmed and glistening with unshed tears. “I’ve been in love with you for _years_ , Channie, and when I saw the opportunity to date you I took it.”

 

There’s a tense moment where they just stare at each other, before Minho sniffs and wipes away the first tear that has begun to fall. “If this makes things weird, I understand, I can -” Suddenly he finds himself cut off as a hand cups his cheek and turns his head back towards Chan and then suddenly lips are on his and - oh.

 

Chan is a better kisser than Minho ever even dreamed he would be and he finds himself melting into the kiss as it grows rougher. There’s a desperation on both sides, but also a sense of relief and were Minho not distracted he might take a moment to think about that but he _is_ because Chan’s just done this delightful thing with his tongue that has Minho moaning into the kiss at the same time that he presses himself further into Chan’s embrace.

 

They finally part, although they don’t go far, foreheads resting against each other as they both breathe heavily, trying to find their bearings. “Chan,” Minho says, his voice soft and sounding far too wrecked considering all they’ve done is kiss. “Chan what do -”

 

“I love you too,” Chan says. His voice is equally as strained and the hand he has resting on Minho’s hip keeps clenching and unclenching in the fabric of Minho’s suit jacket. “I love you too.”

 

“Really?” The hope in Minho’s voice is palpable and he knows that it makes him sound desperate but he _doesn’t care_. “You love me?”

 

Chan nods and kisses him, just a quick brush of lips. “With all my heart.”

 

Minho breaks into a wide smile and kisses Chan again. Their teeth clack, both of them smiling too hard for the kiss to be any good, but it doesn’t matter because it’s still a kiss and it’s _Chan_ and Minho comes to the realization that right here, right now, outside the home he’s just been disowned from, is the only place he wants to be. “I love you too,” he says, heart swelling with happiness. “I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> this is based off a prompt! the prompt was "Just pretend to be my date." 
> 
> please leave comments and kudos i am constantly hungry for validation and that's the quickest way to feed me
> 
> you can anon message me at curiouscat.me/sunsmilehobi or find me on twitter @tiniegyus!


End file.
